


Clarification

by snowbryneich



Series: Deception [14]
Category: Pirates of the Caribbean (Movies)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-02-17
Updated: 2017-02-16
Packaged: 2018-09-25 01:12:40
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,521
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9795719
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/snowbryneich/pseuds/snowbryneich
Summary: An unusual situation allows Elizabeth and Will to discuss some lingering resentments.





	

FOUR YEARS LATER

 

After two years of marriage, Elizabeth had suggested to James that they need not time things to avoid conception any longer – James had agreed eagerly and Elizabeth had been momentarily worried that he might have been holding back a desire to be a father for her sake. But she had not worried over much. They were trying and that was fun in itself. And it drove James a little mad when she told him to come to bed and get her with child. One night when he had been a little merry after a ball at her father’s house, he had confessed that the idea of her swollen with his child aroused him and she had assured him happily he would soon be able to see if the reality matched his imagination.

But she had been wrong. A year after they started. After a year of Elizabeth’s courses remaining as regular as the tide, she had resorted to timing things a little differently. She demanded James’ attention several times a night whenever she had worked out by the calendar that she was likely to conceive. That had made no difference and a year later she was as slender as ever and as regular as ever and hiding her dismay every month from James because he would only fret. They were approaching their fourth wedding anniversary and Elizabeth could not think of the date without a sense of trepidation.

It was foolish she knew. James was not Will. And her first marriage had been terrible long before they had been married four years. But four years was as long as she managed before and it seemed terribly significant and somehow worse and better all at once because James would be at sea for the anniversary. That rather precluded him being sick of her and he would not see her worry – he hated to see her worry. But she missed him more than ever and had the silly notion that if he would tire of her after four years she wanted _all_ of those four years – not to lose yet another month to his career.

 

She had woken early on the day of the anniversary – she had bled shortly after James left so at least was not clinging to hope as she did most months. James had left her gifts of course – a set of fine jewellery and a set of books and a sweet note that she had spent the morning pouring over. She had sent him off with a package he was not to open until today that had contained a set of rather risqué drawings with a suggestive note and a letter declaring how much she missed and loved him.

She decided to go into town – Estrella would only scold at her for moping if she sat about the house and her father would fret if she visited him. She could buy herself a selection of sweets and a new book and spend a day in the garden.  

 

* * *

Elizabeth had woken with a throbbing head surrounded by dust and debris – there was a smell of smoke and the iron tang of blood in the air. It was so dark that for a moment she had no idea where she was and she put a hand out to find a pile of books. She was in the bookstore but she could not see a way out and there was an annoying high pitched sound that she belatedly realised had dragged her out of unconsciousness. It dawned on Elizabeth gradually that the noise was a baby crying and she groped around in the dark wary of making things shift any further until she found an overturned basket and wriggled the crying child from out of it to scoop them up and cradle them reassuringly. It was not a tiny baby but a solid toddler who kicked at her as she picked them up. "There now, it's alright," she said to the solid wiggling form and this seemed to provide some reassurance as the crying calmed a little as she bounced them.  Though it very clearly was not alright. The air was thick with dust and the shelves of the book shop had collapsed – she could not see the front of the shop – it came back to her then as she bounced the child in her arms. She had been browsing the book store when the ground had shook and then something had struck her head. She touched her head and winced – there was blood matted in her hair. It must have been an earthquake, she realised with a sudden shiver of fear. It would not be the first time Port Royal had shaken – at least the bookshop had not fallen into the sea.

When her eyes adjusted to the dark she shifted round a little only to nearly trip over Mr Gerald. The elderly shop keeper had not been so fortunate and Elizabeth edged away from the pool of blood from his half crushed head clutching the squalling toddler closer. She could only be glad she could not see much.

Then there was a stirring from the back of the shop and a panicked familiar voice. “Jack?” Oh of course – Elizabeth had seen Will and his family in the street before she had gone in the bookshop. The Turners had three children now, Young Will, Jack and Mary. Elizabeth hoped Will was happy with his family – it had been what he wanted so much. They had only had the eldest two out and about and Jack wiggled at his name.

“I have him,” she said. “He is fine as far as I can tell Will – where are you? I can barely see.”

“Elizabeth?” said Will astonished and then more urgently. “Give me my son.”

 

The vehemence surprised her. Elizabeth edged in the direction of his voice. It startled her that he still had the power to hurt her. She had only been trying to help. She bumped into his leg eventually and handed over the squirming baby before retreating.

They sat in silence for a long time and then she ventured. “I didn’t know whose baby he was, I just woke up and he was crying.”

There was more silence and Will eventually answered. “I did not mean to snap – I was just worried. I woke up and he was gone.” It was a decent explanation Elizabeth supposed. “Any parent would have reacted the same,” he added.

Elizabeth took a deep breath and did not respond to the additional dig. There was a note in his voice that took her a while to place. “Are you alright?” she asked eventually. There had been pain in his voice.

“I think my leg is broken,” Will said eventually. “I tried to stand and I couldn’t.”

“Oh,” Elizabeth said. It seemed best not to admit that she had rather hoped Will would be able to get them out.

 

“Charlotte will be frantic,” Will said after another long silence.

“I’ll see if I can get to the front of the store,” Elizabeth said. She hardly wanted to be trapped here with him. But she could not – the shelves of the bookstore had pitched forward shattering the glass of the store front and made a barrier she could not move. Nor did she want to push too much in case she brought any more of the store down on them and she made her way back to her spot not venturing near Will and his son or near the body. She nearly tripped over her own basket and moved it beside the wall for lack of anything else to do with it. “I think it’ll be unblockable from the front,” she said. “But I cannot move it. They will have men out to look for trapped people.”

“I am sure your father will have half the town looking for you,” Will said.

“Just as well for you that you are trapped with me then,” Elizabeth answered resisting the urge to roll her eyes – she had thought she was done being berated for her father’s care and attention.

 

They went back to sitting in silence after that until the baby began to fuss. Elizabeth sat in the dark listening to Will trying to cajole his son to calmness. Then when could not he said rather defensively. “He’s hungry.” As if she would sit in the dark and judge Will’s ability with his child – of course, he was a dedicated father.

Then something occurred to her – Jack was not the _youngest_ Turner child and she doubted very much Will was allowing his wife a wet nurse so surely the boy was weaned. “What can he eat?” she said. “I have some ginger cake and some milk stout here somewhere.”

There was a long silence and when Will thanked her, she thought it was the first thing he had said that had not sounded begrudging. She pushed the basket over but in the end, Will could not manage and she went over to break up pieces of cake for the baby and hold the stout bottle and try and persuade him to drink. She focussed her attention on baby Jack – she could see him a little better now her eyes had become accustomed.  The baby laughed and smiled for cake and fussed at the taste of the beer.

“You’re good with him.” Will had said sounding of course surprised.

“He’s a lovely baby,” Elizabeth said. “They all are, Will.” Will avoided her normally but she had seen Charlotte in town with the children before. “I’m happy for you.”

 

“I didn’t think you liked beer?” Will added after another long moment. Elizabeth kept her face still. Of course, he would know that they recommended the milk stout to pregnant women, to settle their stomachs – it was a tonic. One of the midwives had said it couldn’t hurt for her to drink it. But she was damned if she wanted Will working out she was drinking because she was hopefully or worse thinking she had happy news and spreading gossip she would have to deny.

“I don’t,” Elizabeth said. “I buy it for Estrella – her niece is expecting again. She takes it to her on her afternoon off.”

There was more awkward silence broken only by noises from Jack who was happy to be the centre of attention.

 

She was about to ask if Jack Sparrow knew he had a namesake. She was sure Will would not admit to any correspondence with the pirate – he never would when they were married and he had less reason to now when no doubt she would assume she would report such to James. But she was tired of the quiet but before she can Will surprised her with an apology.

“I’m sorry,” he said plainly and for a moment it was a nice thought that he cared that he had hurt her at all until he added. “I should not have held it against you. It is not your fault you are barren.”

Elizabeth pulled away furious wishing she could deny it but no matter that she had desperately avoided conceiving with him her attempts with James had rather proved she was. “I don’t think this is an appropriate topic of conversation Mr Turner,” she said

This clearly huffed him because after a long moment he asked. “Isn’t there anything you regret Mrs Norrington?”

“Yes,” Elizabeth said icily. “I regret that I said anything that day on the battlements. I should have just married James in the first place. You and Charlotte would no doubt have half a dozen children by now and it would have saved us all some trouble.” What on earth did he expect her to regret about their marriage?

“Yes,” Will said. “That would have been best. Then I would never have come home from gaol to find my wife had abandoned me without a word.”

Elizabeth blinked astonished and then suddenly did feel ashamed. Her father had arranged it with James that Will not be released until the work of dissolving their marriage had been started and she had come home to her father before that had happened. She had never considered that Will would mind finding her gone. The wife he was ashamed of, who could not give him the children he wanted. She never assumed Will had missed her one bit. But it had been cowardly. “I am sorry,” she said haltingly. “I didn’t do that to hurt you,” she said. “I’ve never regretted it but it was not deliberately meant as an insult.  I simply did not think you would care one way or the other if I was there or not.” If anything, she had thought it might please him to be free of her.

 

Will went quiet after that fussing with the baby who was burbling quietly – he had no words yet but he was seemed quite close to saying mama – making small mmm sounds and waving his hands in the dark.

“Is that really what you thought?” Will asked after a long moment of quiet while Elizabeth wished that her father would get half the men of Port Royal out looking for her – but then she had no idea what the damage to the town would be like outside. She could not think of anything she would like to relive less than the end of her marriage. She would prefer more cursed pirates than this conversation. “I know you just had found out about Lotty but. . .

“I had not just found out,” Elizabeth corrected him trying to sound matter of fact. “All I found out that day was who you were unfaithful with. I had known for years. You can whine all you like that I am barren but you could have hardly have concluded that before we had been wed two years.” And that had only been when Elizabeth had _realised_. She had wondered since she had found out he had been with Charlotte before they were wed – had he ever stopped. Had he _ever_ been faithful to their marriage?  She did not ask. She did not want to know and more importantly, she did not want him to think she cared.

 

Will was quiet then and busy with his son and did not offer up a defence thankfully. She could not have stomached it. “What does it matter now anyway?” she said in a futile attempt to keep the peace – who knew who long they would be stuck here with a hungry unhappy baby and their awkward past. “You have your family. And I have James who loves me even though I am barren. Everything worked out for the best.”

“I _loved_ you,” Will said to her utter astonishment. “And I would have gotten over the children thing if I had thought you loved me back and you didn’t and I never knew why.” He took a deep shuddering breath. “That bloody necklace.” Will paused and then said. “It was just once – at first. We’d had an argument about some ball – you kept telling me to dance with other women for appearances and I was just sick of all the rules – there seemed to be a new one every time I turned around and you’d gone off to your fathers – to complain about me I was sure and so I was due another lecture from him about the standard he expected you to be kept in. So I went to town to get drunk. Not a sensible choice but I didn’t have anyone to complain to. I hardly made friends in society and even those who were friendly would hardly have understood. And I ran into Charlotte and . . .”

“She was a willing ear no doubt,” Elizabeth said. She had not resented the new Mrs Turner in some time – not she had become the means of Elizabeth’s escape from marriage to Will but she cannot imagine anything the woman would have wanted more in that moment than to hear Will say he had made the wrong choice.

 

“Yes quite.” Will said. “She was and that was tempting and I stumbled. But I felt awful. I did love you. I never meant to betray you or hurt her any more than I already had. I avoided her for weeks after. I bought the necklace as a parting gift. And she broke her heart over it. But I was resolved it would never happen again.”

Elizabeth stayed quiet. It had happened again. They both knew that.

“I did not know why you would not forgive me after that fight,” Will said. “Why your temper never waned – why you kept up being cold to me for months – I should have known. I knew what you were like. I would never _ever_ have had a surprise for you sent to the house – you were in every parcel even if it was for the smithy.” He paused. “I suppose I only thought if you knew you would have confronted me. I thought you would have smashed things and shouted or threatened.” He drifts off and Elizabeth would feel worse if she did not remember vividly how hurt she had been.

 

“If I had only been angry I might have,” Elizabeth said. “And I was angry – I’ve never been angrier. I went around furious with everyone for weeks, not just you but I was hurt and sad as well, I wanted you to see none of that.” The notion of him knowing had horrified her. It was not as if she could prevent him being unfaithful and they would have both known that. “All I had left was my pride.”

“What a pair we were,” Will said and Elizabeth did not appreciate being lumped in with him she did not say so. “I know it is no excuse. It was some time after that I went back to Charlotte. After it seemed nothing I would do would change your mind.”

Elizabeth doesn’t even remember him ever trying to change her mind. He’d tried very hard to pretend like everything was normal. And then she eventually she had too – to a point. Would she have forgiven him if she had known it had only been once? She might have if he had been sorry but even now he seemed to think it was reasonable because they had fought. Was not one betrayal enough. She wondered if it had taken longer for him to give in and go back to Charlotte than it had for her to let a known rake seduce her. What a mess it had all been.

 

Her reverie was interrupted though by a crash at the shattered blocked window. And they take up a clamour at once to alert the rescuers to their presence. It took hours to get them out – Elizabeth had to hold the baby while Will was carried out unable to put weight on his leg. Jack fusses the whole time and refused to take anymore cake and pawed at her dress and whined. Not that long weaned then it seems. But then they lift her and Jack through together, dusty and tired. Will was lying on a stretcher in the street and she did not see Charlotte anywhere though her father was there and outraged at the very idea of her being alone with her former husband. Elizabeth was surprised that it was dark – how long were they in there. “I am alright Father,” she said. She hopes he cannot see the blood in her hair. And while he wants to have her off home at once she still had hold of Jack Turner who at this point was beginning to smell and was not very happy about it.

 

In the end, they summon Will’s father in law – a man Elizabeth supposed she owed a debt too in an odd way for the events that freed her from her marriage to Will and who eagerly seizes his grandson from her arms with a perfunctory acknowledge. He did not so much as glance at Will – not quite forgiven entirely by his wife’s family it seems and Elizabeth manages only a brief wave of farewell as her father bundles her into a carriage. It was only when he had taken her to the King’s house and set a parcel of maids to fuss over her and bath her and send up a hot bowl of soup and fresh soft bread that she started to fret.

She ended up in her father’s study in her nightgown going through his reports. Looking for news of landslide, comments about the sea retracting – anything that might indicate the earthquake would create trouble at sea. There was nothing and she sat down hard and sighed with relief. And then felt suddenly dizzy – her head was bleeding again and she was feeling a little faint when her father appeared and ushered her back to bed, scolding her fiercely and assuring her that James would be fine. Elizabeth hoped he was right but James was not due back for weeks and she would worry until he was safely home.

 

 

 

 

 


End file.
